Behind the Build: Ben Gaum - Project Studios Architects

Ben Gaum built his path to architecture from a young age, after a school test in Grade 5 surprisingly and accurately suggested “architect” as the perfect intersection of his creative and analytical strengths. That early insight stayed with him and eventually shaped his formal education and career. He began with an architectural technology degree at Fanshawe College, where he gained deep technical knowledge and became part of the last generation to hand-draft working drawings. He later pursued architecture at Dalhousie for his undergrad and completed his master’s at Ryerson, balancing conceptual thinking with practical execution.

Early in his career, Ben worked with several large and mid-sized firms, including KIRKOR Architects and Humphreys Partners, developing a strong foundation in high-density residential and mixed-use work. In 2017, he co-founded a practice and, within a few years, assumed full ownership—leading the studio as sole principal from that point on. The firm launched with major multi-residential projects already underway, giving Ben an unusually fast transition from startup to active construction.

His work stands out for its pragmatism, experimentation, and design execution. Whether delivering a fully precast 144-unit condo in Hamilton or exploring advanced fabrication techniques for an educational project, his approach consistently merges design innovation with technical resolution.

Ben is also the founder of Block House, a studio focused on container-based laneway and garden suites. What began as a personal project became a scalable initiative to reduce construction costs and time, while addressing housing in dense urban contexts. Block House combines prefabrication, steel construction, and architectural detail in a way that’s both efficient and flexible—often coming in at 30% less than traditional builds.

Outside of practice, Ben is a musician, a former photographer, a golfer, and a dad. His work and his studio are driven by curiosity, technical craft, and a love for solving real architectural problems through design.

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